is your son getting enough probiotics? they are essential for intestinal health and good bowel movements. also giving him some digestive enzymes with every meal would probably be a great idea. you need to address this from a over-all intestinal track health view, not just a "how do i stimulate a good bowel movement today" view.

i use fresh ground flax seed everyday for fiber. it works great, i think its much better than psyllium, which can cause bloating. i mix the flax in with some kefir and some probiotic caps and some FOS caps. i get my probiotics and FOS very inexpensively from swansonvitamins.com.

perhaps drinking more water would be good for him. dehydration can lead to chronic constipation. also some fresh made juice everyday would be great for the bowels. cabbage juice is very healing for the bowels, add some apple and some ginger. it tastes great and is great for you. make enough for you and him, both of you will benefit from juicing everyday.

taking some magnesium everyday would also be an excellent thing to do. increase the magnesium everyday until the stools are loose then back off a bit.

i think your son would benefit from the alkalizing drink recipe here. i drink it everyday and love it -

http://www.askmoreless.com/alkalising_drinks

hope that helps. God bless you. taking care of special needs children is a very special job, God only selects special people for it, keep taking such good careof your son, and i hope things improve.

Hi Racine :)

I would give him more fiber so the stools can absorb more moisture and be softer.

Gently press your fingers next to the belly button and massage in little circles around the belly button in a clockwise motion, gently working outward.
This is to stimulate the bowels to start contracting as they would normally do in the digestion process.
Do this each day until the bowels start to regulate the bowel movements.
Don't expect an inactive person to have bowel movements near as often as an active person.
Use light pressure. Stop if there are any signs of discomfort

Enema flushing can wash away the protective mucus that protects the walls and keeps the stools from binding.

Vitamin B complex will help build friendly intestinal flora to block an overgrouth of yeast. If too much friendly flora is lost, it leaves room for yeast to move in.

The vitamin supplements Gaba and L-Tyrosine to stimulate and repair nerves in the brain and peripheral nerves that reach to the extremities of the body.

I suggest about 4 ounces of pine needle tea two times a day as a brain and body tonic.

Mix some aloe vera is some water and 2 times a day for him to drink.
A little about aloe vera besides soothing the stomach....
Aloe Vera contains 75 known ingredients including:
All the vitamins (except Vitamin D).
Enzymes that aid digestion and reduce inflammation.
The minerals needed for the enzymes to function.
Long-chain sugars that help to re-balance the digestive system.
Saponins, which have an anti-microbial effect against bacteria, viruses, fungi and yeast.
Twenty of the 22 amino acids (including seven out of the eight essential amino acids that can’t be produced by the body).
It’s thought that the synergistic effect of these ingredients is what gives Aloe Vera its power.

I would be very cautious of too much water and salt in a young inactive body.

The recommended daily dose is around 500 mg/day--around a quarter of a teaspoonful.
http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/msaltwater.html

GABA, or Gamma-Aminobutryic Acid, is a powerful amino acid. It is actually classified as a nearuotransmitter, which means it helps nerve impulses cross the synapses (gaps) and communicate better. GABA has a great number of positive effects on the nervous system.

Tyrosine is important to the structure of almost all proteins in the body. It is also the precursor of several neurotransmitters.

Pine needle tea:
Boil water to a rolling boil
Remove pan from burner
Stuff fresh pine needles in the water up to the water level
Cover with a lid and let steep for 20 minutes
Pour the tea off the pine needles and drink
Make a big batch and throw the used pine needles away. The tea keeps well in the refrigerator for later use
It is good for the whole family and has a clean mild taste, and smells a little like lemonade

What is he eating? There are three main reasons for constipation: Too little water and he is eating something he does not tolerate or he is not getting enough fibre. Give us a rundown of a typical day food wise and maybe we can find what is bothering him.